Four matches have been completed at the 2026 Tour Championship and here are the reports by WST:

Day 1

Trump Ends Six-Year Tour Drought

Judd Trump won a match in the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship for the first time since 2020 as he came from 4-0 down to beat Mark Allen 10-8 in the opening round in Manchester.

This event has brought little joy for world number one Trump as he won just one match in the tournament’s inaugural year in 2020 and then suffered a series of first round exits. But he has now ended that streak and set up a quarter-final with Shaun Murphy at Manchester Central on Wednesday.

After a slow start today, Trump impressed with three centuries and five more breaks over 60 as he won ten of the last 14 frames. While the 36-year-old has lifted only one trophy this season, at the German Masters in February, he has been in three other finals and four more semi-finals.

“The first four frames were scrappy, after that we both played some really good stuff, it was an enjoyable game,” said 31-time ranking event winner Trump. “At 4-0 I was just waiting for good opportunities, then I made one break and settled down. At 4-4 I was delighted and tonight was a great standard. I have been consistent for the last five or six months, I have had a lot of semis and finals, I am happy with my form.”  

Tied 4-4 after the first session, Allen took the opening frame tonight with a break of 121, before Trump hit back for 5-5 then nicked the 11th on a respotted black to lead for the first time in the match. The high scoring continued as Allen made another 121 for 6-6 before Trump regained the advantage with a 114.

Allen led 42-0 in frame 14 when he overcut a tricky red to a top corner, and Trump punished him with an excellent 86 clearance for 8-6. Allen pulled one back, then in the 16th Trump led 41-0 when he converted an excellent long red to a top corner and added 67 to move to the edge of victory at 9-7. The Englishman had a match winning chance in the 17th, missing a mid-range red at 35-0 and Allen kept his own hopes alive with a 79 clearance. But Trump made no mistake in the next frame, wrapping up the result with a run of 100.

Trump was also asked about last week’s announcement that the World Championship will stay at the Crucible in Sheffield for the long term. He said: “It’s great news, it puts all the uncertainty to bed. For snooker it’s probably the best thing that could have happened. The fact that in a few years time they will improve the venue is even better. It’s an exciting time for snooker, the World Championship is always special and it’s good to keep it in the UK. Any arena (in the round) where you are surrounded and immersed  – it brings even more pressure. We’re happy to play there for the next two years but everyone will be keeping one eye on what is going to happen after, and hopefully I’ll have the chance to play in that new arena.” 

On the other table, China’s Wu Yize established a 6-2 advantage over Chris Wakelin in a match which concludes on Tuesday evening. 

Wu, age 22, is enjoying his breakthrough season having won his maiden ranking title at the International Championship and climbed into the world’s top 16 for the first time. 

And he showed his quality again tonight as breaks of 73, 74, 84, 75 and 81 edged him closer to a possible quarter-final with Zhao Xintong.

Day 2 – Afternoon

Hawkins Knocks Out In-Form Un-Nooh

Barry Hawkins, who knocked Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump out of the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship last year, scored another impressive victory in Manchester as he came from 8-7 down to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-8 to reach the quarter-finals.  

Un-Nooh enjoyed the best moment of his career just nine days ago when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final of the World Open, making a 147 to boot. That earned him a place in this week’s elite 12-man tournament but the Thai couldn’t keep his winning streak going, despite coming from 5-3 down in the second session to lead 8-7. The result also ends Un-Nooh’s hopes of being a top 16 seed for the Crucible, and Ding Junhui hangs on to that status.

Welsh Open champion Hawkins came good at the business end, setting up a clash with Neil Robertson which starts on Wednesday afternoon. The Londoner was a semi-finalist last year and also reached the last four in 2021. 

Trailing 5-3 overnight, Un-Nooh won the opening frame today on the colours before Hawkins made a break of 101 for 6-4. World number 11 Hawkins looked favourite in frame 11 when he laid a tough snooker on the yellow, trailing 50-48, but Un-Nooh enjoyed an outrageous fluke on the yellow, flicking it into a baulk corner, and cleared to halve his deficit. Un-Nooh then dominated the next two with top runs of 48 and 62 to lead 7-6. And he had a chance to extend his advantage but under-cut a fiddly short range red to a centre pocket on 50 and his opponent punished him with a 72 clearance.

Un-Nooh’s run of 66 helped him regain the lead and he was on 48 in frame 16 when he missed a straight-forward red to a top corner, and again Hawkins took advantage with 68 for 8-8. The 17th came down to the last two reds and a fine long pot from Hawkins to a baulk corner edged him in front. He took control of the next with a break of 63 and eventually sealed the result on the colours.

“I don’t know how to sum up that game, one minute Thepchaiya looked like he was going to start playing well and had the balls at his mercy, then all of a sudden I was back at the table,” said Hawkins. “If he goes on one he is near enough unstoppable, but then he misses balls you don’t expect him to miss, which can be off-putting. 

“I nicked quite a few frames. I didn’t feel I played great, I was just battling away. It was getting twitchy at the end so it’s a great win. I have had good runs in this event, especially as it’s such a tough event just to win matches in, given the players who qualify. Against Neil I will have to make sure I don’t miss those easy balls, because he will punish me.“

Hawkins was suffering from a back injury last month which forced him to pull out of the World Open, but added: “It feels ok now, it’s just a bit tight in the mornings but it doesn’t affect me playing at all.”

On the other table, defending champion John Higgins came from 2-0 down to take a 6-2 lead over Mark Williams, in a match which concludes from 7pm tonight. 

Williams, who won this event in 2024, started strongly with runs of 59 and 121 to take the first two frames. But fellow ‘Class of 92’ member Higgins won the next six in a row with top breaks of 64 and 73.

Day 2 – Evening

Higgins Elated After ‘Special’ Win Over Williams

More than three decades after their first professional meeting, defending champion John Higgins scored a thrilling 10-8 victory over fellow legend Mark Williams to reach the quarter-finals of the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship.

These two warriors of the baize first went head-to-head on tour back in 1994 and are now into their 50s, but both remain fiercely competitive at the highest level, ranked inside the world’s top six. In recent times, Williams has got the better of their high profile matches, notably in the Crucible final in 2018 and the quarter-finals in Sheffield last year. But this time Higgins came out on top in a tense finish, scoring a first win against his ‘Class of 92’ rival in a multi-session match since the 2011 World Championship.

Higgins sets up a battle with Mark Selby on Thursday in Manchester, a repeat of last year’s final which he won 10-8 before describing it as his “greatest ever win.” While he hasn’t added to his trophy haul since that day, the 50-year-old Scot has enjoyed a high level of consistency this season, reaching three finals, two more semis and now five more quarter-finals.

Leading 6-2 after the first session, Higgins took the opening frame tonight with a break of 84. He had chances in the next but missed a tough pot on the final green to a baulk corner when 44-30 ahead, and Williams cleared to close the gap. That proved a turning point as Williams fired breaks of 74 and 82 in the next two frames and also dominated the next to close to 7-6.

Higgins hit back with a 110, then Williams responded with 107 and 76 for 8-8. But four-time World Champion Higgins got the better of a fragmented 17th frame with a top break of 48, then in the next he led 14-1 when he knocked in a sizzling long red, setting up a superb match-winning 52.

“I am delighted to do to Mark what he has done to me in the last few years, making a frame winning break at the end was very pleasing,” said Higgins. “It’s still extra special to play Mark, I always think back to when we first played at the Mita Masters when we were 15, and fast forward 35 years and we are still doing it in the big arenas. We deserve pats on the back I think. It would have been a tough loss having been 7-2 in front, I always knew Mark was going to come back at me. It’s a great win and I have a day off now then I can get ready for Mark Selby.” 

Meanwhile, Chris Wakelin made an extraordinary come back from 6-2 down against Wu Yize, winning eight frames in a row for a 10-6 victory, earning a tie with World Champion Zhao Xintong. Scottish Open champion Wakelin is playing in this event for the first time and made it a memorable debut, scoring one of his best ever fight backs as China’s Wu crumbled under pressure. Breaks of 84, 62 and 108 helped Wakelin to run away with the tie tonight.

He said: “The way Wu played in the first session, I went to bed last night thinking I can’t compete with that. I knew I had to come out tonight and find my own form and get something going. He missed a couple of balls in the first frame and I thought I could apply some pressure. Once I got back to 6-4 it was game on. I just believe in myself now, it’s a simple as that.” 

Wu Yize had a really bad evening in office yesterday. Credits to Chris Wakelin though for the way he reacted to a difficult first session, and for being able to concentrate on his own job when his young opponent, rather unexpectedly, started to struggle badly. Wu looked lost and embarrassed, sitting in his chair but it happens to all of them, even the very best.

And then of course, WST reported on Trump’s delight about the World Championship staying at the Crucible. So far thought I can’t remember seeing quotes by a non British player about this topic. It would be interesting to hear from them as well …